Airfare surge puts strain on travellers despite India’s expanding aviation network

Flying within India has become markedly more expensive over the past few years, with new data showing a steep rise in domestic and international ticket prices despite the rapid expansion of the country’s airport network.

Al Jazeera reported that a study released in November by Airports Council International (ACI), covering 617 airports across the Asia-Pacific and West Asia regions, found that domestic airfares in India were 43 percent higher in the first half of 2024 compared with 2019. This was the second-largest increase in the region after Vietnam. International fares from India rose by 16 percent, the third-highest jump in the survey.

The analysis, conducted with Flare Aviation Consulting, attributes the rise to strong demand, limited competition on several routes, and a significant increase in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) costs.

ATF prices have climbed 38 percent since 2019, rising from Rs 68,050 per kilolitre in Delhi in January 2019 to Rs 93,766 per kilolitre in October 2025. Airlines recovering from severe pandemic losses have also kept fares elevated to stabilise their finances.

The impact on travellers has been immediate. A Srinagar–New Delhi one-way fare that averaged around Rs 3,300 before the pandemic now regularly exceeds Rs 5,000, with fewer flight options. Frequent flyers say they have been forced to reduce the number of trips they take each month as travel costs continue to climb.

Industry representatives warn that the steady upward trend threatens the affordability of flying for large sections of society. “Airfares aren’t coming down and are only going up,” said Vandana Singh, chairperson of the Aviation Cargo Federation of Aviation Industry in India. She cautioned that the middle and economically weaker groups risk being priced out of air travel altogether if fares continue to rise.

The price surge sits uneasily with the government’s flagship UDAN scheme, launched in 2016 with the promise of making flying accessible to ordinary citizens. Under the initiative, the number of airports in India has more than doubled, from 74 in 2014 to 157 in 2024, significantly improving connectivity in smaller towns and cities.

Yet experts say the broader numbers obscure structural challenges facing the sector. Passenger volumes remain high, but many individuals are travelling less frequently due to the rising cost of tickets. As airfares continue to climb, concerns are growing that India’s aviation boom may be bypassing those it set out to include.